Meat-cutting machine.



Patented Feb. 4,- |902.

l L. BALLBAmj.

MEAT CUTTING MASI-HNE.

(Application led May 6, 1901.) (No Model.)

16 41f 27. 'zal 2-0" VVITNESSES l reunen35` UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS BALLBAOH, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

MEAT-CUTTING` MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 692,594, dated February 4, 1902.

l 1 Application filed May 6, 1901.- Serial No. 58,965. (No model.)

ence being had therein to the accompanying` drawings.

My invention relates to meat-cutting Vmachines,and especially to that class of machines for cutting animal fat, stearin, dac., which are provided with a hopper,two gangs of longitudinally-'reciprocated knives extending at right angles to each other and beneath the hopper,

and knives for cutting the strips cut by the gang-knives into small cubic pieces; and its objects are to so arrange and construct such a machine that each gang of knives may be readily removed for the purpose of cleaning the machine, dac., to provide rotary knives having a shearing cut and which are supported at their free ends when in the act of cutting, and also to provide certain other new and useful features,hereinafter more fullydescribed, and particularly pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in whioh-v Figure 1 is a side elevation of a device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a frontelevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view with the hopper in section.' Fig. 4 is a detail of the lower end of the hopper in perspective, with tho gang-knives removed. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the hanger for holding the gangknives, showing'the inner face. Fig. 6 is a perspective of the same.

1 is the frame of the machine, with a journal-bearing 2 for the horizontal shaft 3, and an upwardly and laterally extended U-shaped portion, between the arms 4 of 'which portion the rectangular hopper 5 is secured. On the outer end of the shaft 3 is secured l a handcrank 6,and abevel-gear 7, also secured on said shaft, is adapted to actuate a gear 8, secured upon the vertical shaft 9, which shaft is journaled on the frame and provided at its upper end with acrank-arm 10, vand on. the inner end of said shaft 3'is secured a hub 11, having oppositely-extended arms 12, to the outer ends of which the knives 13 are adjustably y attached by means of bolts passing through 'slots 14 in the ends of said arms.

To the front side of the lower end of the' hopper 5 is detaohably secured the hanger 15 by means of a pin 16,' adapted to enga-ge an opening 17in the hopper and held therein 'by a yoke 18, which embraces the hopper and is pivoted at its ends to the frame to allow it to be engaged with and disengaged from the incline 19 on said hanger, and lugs 2O on the hopper engage shoulders on said hanger to prevent lateral movement of the same. In the inner surface of said hanger is cut the ways 2l, andcorresponding ways 22 are cut in downwardly-extended portions of the frame-arms 4, saidways being adapted to receive the longitudinallymovable rectangular frame 23,v which is provided with the gang-knives 24. The hanger 15 is also-provided with an opening in which is formed the curved way 26 for a second longitudinally-movable rectangular frame 27, which frame is curved in cross-section concentrically with the axis of the shaft 3, and corresponding ways 28 are formed in the downward extension of the arms 4 to support the opposite end of the said frame 27, which is also provided with a gang of longitudinal knives 29. These frames 23 and 27 extendat right angles to each other,

the frame 23 above the other and in close proximity thereto, and the sides of the hop# per are slitted at 25 upward from its lower end to receive the gangs of knives and guide the same, the lower end of the front and rear of said. hopper being curved to conform to the curvature of the frame 27. The ends of the arms 12, carrying the knives 13, are so bent and the knives so attached thereto and formed that as they are revolved the heel of the knife cuts in advance of the point and a shearing cut is secured. The back of the gang of knives 29 extends downward even with the bottom of the frame, and the edge of the knives 13 when revolved ymove close to the back of these knives, and to prevent the point of the knife from springing Vaway from the frame I provide the hanger 15 with a groove or ledge 30 to engage the point of the knife and support the same.

To reciprocate the gangs of knives, the frame 27 .is connected to the crank-arm 10 by IOO nieans of a connecting-rod 3l, said rod being provided with acrank-pin 32, which engages a socket in the frame 27, and a connectingrod 33, engaging said pin at one end, is pivotally connected at the opposite end to one arm of a bell-crank lever 3i, which is pivoted to the frame, the opposite end of the bell-crank lever being connected to the frame 23 by a short connecting-rod 35. The said connecting-rod 35 is provided with a socket to receive a projection on said frame 23, and, the connecting-rods 3l and 33 being connected to the frame 27 by the pin 32, said frames may be readily disconnected when said frames are removed for cleaning.

IVhen it is desired to remove the gangs of knives for cleaning, sharpening, or repairing, the yoke 18 is thrown to the position shown in Fig. 4, when the hanger l5 may be removed, thus allowing the outer end of the frame 27 to fall and the opposite end to be disconnected from the rods 3l and 33, when it may be removed from the ways 2S. The removal of the hanger also allows the disconnecting of the rod and the removal of the frame 23. Then the parts are again put in place and the yoke lowered, it will engage the incline 19, which will cause the hanger to be pressed and held firmly against the hopper.

The material to be cut in a machine of this character is such that it is liable to clog the knives and a clean cut will not be made. By using the form of rotary knife shown only the cutting edge of the knife is passed close to the lower gang of knives and with a shearing cut, while with the ordinary fiat knife its whole fiat side passes close tothe gang and is more liable to be clogged. By adjusting the rotary knives on their arms their cutting edges may be caused to pass very near the backs of the gang-knives at all times, and by being supported at their points the pressure of the material cannot bend the knife and prevent a clean cut.

What I claim as my invention isl. In combination with the frame of a meatcutting machine, a vertical hopper mounted thereon, a horizontal shaft journaled thereon, a longitudinally movable rectangular frame beneath said hopper, a gang of knives in said frame, a second longitudinally-movable rectangular frame beneath the firstnamed frame and in proximity thereto, said frame being curved in cross-section concentrically with the axis of said shaft and provided with a gang oflongitudinal knives with their backs lying in the curved plane of the lower side of said frame, an arm on said shaft, and a knife 011 said arm adapted to move with its cutting edge close to the under side of said lower gang of knives, and means for rotating said shaft and reciprocating said gangs of knives.

2. In a meat-cutting machine, a vertical hopper, two gangs of longitudinally-movable knives, one above the other, beneath said hopper, a shaft journaled on said machine-frame, a knife on said shaft adapted to be moved with its cutting edge close to the under side of said lower gang of knives, a support for the point of said knife, and means for rotating said shaft and knife and reciprocating said gangs of knives.

In a meat-cutting machine, in combination with the hopper thereof, longitudinallymovable rectangular frames beneath said hopper, one above the other, gangs of longitudinal knives in said frames, ways for said frames at one side of said hopper, a hanger having corresponding ways and detachably secured to the opposite sideW of said hopper, and means for reciprocating said frames.

4. In a meat-cutting machine, in combination, a vertical hopper, rectangular frames extending at right angles to each other, one above the other and each provided with a gang of knives, ways at one side of said hopper to engage one side and one end of said frames, a hanger at the opposite side of said hopper having corresponding ways for the opposite sides and end of the frames, a pin in said hanger to engage an opening in said hopper, and a yoke pivoted to said hopper and engaging said hanger.

5. In combination with the frame of a meatcutting machine having a journal-bearing, a horizontal shaft in said bearing, a vertical hopper mounted on said frame, a rectangular frame provided with a gang of longitudinal knives beneath said hopper, a second frame provided with a gang of longitudinal knives beneath the first-named frame and in proximity thereto said lower frame being curved throughout its width concentrically with the axis of said shaft, ways at one side of said hopper, a hanger at the opposite side of said hopper provided with similar ways, lugs on said hopper to engage shoulders on said hanger, a pin on said hanger to engage an opening in the hopper, a yoke pivoted to the hopper to engage the hanger, a hub on said shaft, arms on said hub, knives on said arms, a groove in said hanger to engage and support the point of said knives, and means for rotating said shaft and reciprocating said gangs of knives.

G. In combination with the frame of a meatcutting machine, having a journal-bearing, a horizontal shaft on said bearing, a hub on said shaft, arms on said hub having bent and slotted outer ends, knives secured to said arms by bolts engaging said slots, and so extended that the heels of the cutting edges thereof will cut in advance of their points and the backs thereof move in a different path than their cutting edges, a vertical hopper above said knives, rectangular frames having gangs of longitudinal knives movable in ways beneath said hopper, the lower of said gang of knives being so arranged that the backs thereof lie close to the path of the cutting edge of said rotary knives, and means for ro- IOO IIO

7. In a meat-Cutting maehine, in combination, a frame having journal-bearings and an upwardly and laterally extended and forked upper portion, a vertical hopper secured be. tween the arms of said forked portion, a horizontal shaft in one of said bearings and a vertical shaft in the other bearing a hub on said horizontal. shaft, arms on said hub, knives on said arms, a rectangular frame beneath the hopper, a gang of longitudinal knives in said frame, a second frame beneath the firstnained frame, a gang of longitudinal knives in said second frame, said frame and its gang of knives presenting a lowersurfaoe curved eonoentrieally with the axis of said horizontal shaft, ways on the machine-frame tosupport said frames for the gangs of knives atene side of the hopper, a hanger at the opposite side of said hopper and detaehably secured thereto, having similar Ways and a curved groove to engage the point of the rotating knivesa bevel-gear and a crank-handle on the end of said horizontal shaft opposite said hub, a gear on thevertieal shaft, a Crank-arm on the upper end of said vertical shaft, aeonneetingrod `connecting said crank-arm with the lower frame having one gang of knives, a bell-crank pivoted to the machine-frame, and connecting-rods connecting the ends of said bellerankwith the said frames having the gangs of knives.

In testimony whereof I aii'x my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

, Louis BALLBACH. 

